The discovery of NPGL by Professor Kazuyoshi Ukena shows that hunger and energy consumption mechanisms are even more complex. Researchers at Hiroshima University have discovered a molecule that can increase…

The discovery of NPGL by Professor Kazuyoshi Ukena shows that hunger and energy consumption mechanisms are even more complex.

Researchers at Hiroshima University have discovered a molecule that can increase appetite during fasting and decrease it during gorging. Their findings suggest that the protein named NPGL is involved in maintaining body mass at a constant, regardless of food intake.

 Up until now, scientists knew that leptin hormone released by fatty tissue reduces appetite while ghrelin hormone released by stomach tissue makes us want to eat more. These hormones, in turn, activate a host of neurons in the brain’s hypothalamus, the body’s energy control center.

 The discovery of NPGL by Professor Kazuyoshi Ukena shows that hunger and energy consumption mechanisms are even more complex.

 Ukena first discovered NPGL in chickens after noticing that growing birds grew larger irrespective of diet, suggesting there was more to energy metabolism than meets the eye. Intrigued, the researchers performed a DNA database search to see if mammals might also possess this elusive substance. They found that it exists in all vertebrates—including humans.

 It does seem however, that we still have a lot to learn about appetite, hunger, and energy consumption. It is hoped that this study into mammalian NPGL adds another piece to the puzzle.